Summertime and Loss of Appetite

I don't know how many of you experience this, but I've noticed in my years on this globe that when hot weather rolls around I lose my appetite - quite distressing for someone in my field. Unfortunately for most of us the reverse is true in winter. How cruel of a joke is that? Stay bundled up all winter eating like a bear and hibernating to boot, then when the cold finally breaks and we can shed those layers of clothing we may not want to - at least not in public. If it was the other way around, eating in the summer and losing our appetite in the winter, we'd be all set when it was time to go to the pool! Unfortunately it's not all a matter of choice. Mother Nature's finger prints are all over this!

In hot weather the body has to work to keep cool. All of the body's processes produce heat and digestion is no exception. When we eat the body must process the food which produces heat. To moderate the production of heat and maintain body temperature, the body suppresses appetite during hotter weather. Ignore this cue from your body and you'll wind up dripping sweat on your plate. The opposite is true during the winter. Take the bear for example. It's not that he carries around a calendar and when October rolls around he starts stocking up for the winter months. When the weather gets cooler, his body signals that it's time to start eating because it doesn't have to work to stay cool and soon will need fuel to stay warm. We're no different from the old bear.

I've always found during the summer months I shy away from a big steak which is usually one of my favorite things on which to dine, opting instead for lighter options such as fish and shellfish. Maybe that's why everyone I see is going to the beach - for the fish. Then again it's probably for the margaritas... So as I sit here typing on my computer in Hotlanta, if you're sitting on a beach somewhere eating crab claws and quaffing copious amounts of beer and margaritas, raise a toast to me and order another round!

I'll be here when it cools off and you come back to reality, waiting with open arms and a steak on the barbie!

Cooling off the Summer!

Summer is here and the heat is blazing as always. You may not feel it as much in your car or office, but trust me, working in a commercial kitchen in the South during the summer you become acquainted with it... I don't generally post drink recipes much less "adult beverage" recipes, but this is a good one and an original. It's quite tasty and even if it doesn't cool you down, by the time it's gone you won't care how hot it is!

SANGRIAaaahhhhh!!!!

1 750 ml bottle red or white wine (no need for an expensive bottle; mid range is fine)
1 1/2 cup sweet and sour mix
3/4 cup brandy (no need for Napoleon's finest!)
3/4 cup triple sec

Mix well and let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve over ice and garnish with fruit.

Lynda and I went through exhaustive research to figure out just the right proportions of each ingredient! It was a tremendous sacrifice but for you it's worth it! Our loss (of brain cells) is your gain... Enjoy and let us know what you think!